[psmith2.0]

...but I just got finished painting 1,700+ sq ft of fencing, decking, porch, railing, ramps, stairs at my Mom's.

Holy smokes, I thought it would never end. Been a three week thing, 2-3 hours in the evenings (or early mornings on Saturday). And because of unevenness/cupping in the boards, rolling was out (I would've wasted a ton of paint, and had to hit it from six different directions. Screw that.

On day one, several hours in, I made the decision to do it all via hand, with a 4" brush (which perfectly spread out to match the 5.5" wide 2x6 or 5/4 decking boards and 4x4 (3.5") posts/framing. It just took a million years, that's all. But I painted that last sonofabitch board yesterday and I couldn't be happier.

Weather (mostly) cooperated.

Funniest part? Went through two five-gallon buckets...in the second one, finishing yesterday, there is about 1" of paint remaining. Couldn't have timed/planned it better. Whatever that space/painting surface is, two five-gallon buckets is exactly what it took! Behr Deck Plus tinted to a medium grey. We've been putting it off for a couple of years but I told her toward the end of April this needs to be the year, AND I certainly would love to get going on it and be done before the head and humidity June/July/August arrives. I promised a completion date of May 31, and I was able to get it done by May 17, a full two weeks ahead of my goal/promise.

I'm thrilled. I was going to allow myself to finish up by this Thursday, but I just hunkered down and stuck around a few more hours yesterday, into the evening, so I can call it DONE.

Nothing creative whatsoever, but it was a major, long-time coming project and I nailed it. My back and legs aren't happy this morning, but they'll get over it. But I'm kinda walking like an old man today (think Tim Conway in that white wig on the Carol Burnett show).

Sorry, no pics...just imagine some old faded, splotchy brownish wood fencing, porch, decking, rails, etc. now all being a nice, even and smooth medium-grey (and protected from further rain, sun, etc. damage/exposure). And ol' Paulie has a bit of a pre-summer tan (as much as someone like me - fair-skinned with Scottish roots - can tan). Usually I don't look this way until August, after months of mowing and outdoor work. I got an early start this year.

PS - I slept like a rock last night...I was out within about four minutes of my head hitting the pillow. Just enough to check the weather, send a text and download a podcast (which I never heard beyond the introduction/ad read).

[kscherer]

Good job, Paul!

Work is good for you.

[709]

“Say, Paul, let me paint a little.”

Paul considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:

“No – no – I reckon it wouldn’t hardly do, 709. You see, Mom’s awful particular about this fence – right here on the street, you know – but if it was the back fence I wouldn’t mind and she wouldn’t. Yes, she’s awful particular about this fence; it’s got to be done very careful; I reckon there ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it’s got to be done.”

“No – is that so? Oh come, now – lemme, just try. Only just a little – I’d let you, if you was me, Paul.”

“709, I’d like to, honest injun; but Mom – well, Ken wanted to do it, but she wouldn’t let him; Turtle wanted to do it, and she wouldn’t let Turtle. Now don’t you see how I’m fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything was to happen to it – ”

“Oh, shucks, I’ll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say – I’ll give you the core of my apple.”




Love that book.

[kscherer]

[turtle]

I can't imagine having to paint all of that. I have no fence where I live now and my deck is concrete, though it is painted!

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, it needed protection. I thought I'd just spray on some clear weather sealer stuff like I did before, but she kept mentioning "grey would look nice, and be a change, wouldn't it?"

That's when I knew.

Three weeks ago I got out the tape measure and a little notebook and took all the measurements so I could estimate the square footage/coverage needed. After promptly dying to death of shock, I then thought "if we're going to do this, let's do this...". So I've been over in the 3-4 nights a week, painting until the light got too low to see well. Three weeks, 10 gallons, one brush and one exhausted dork.

Weather/Mother Nature have not cooperated on the heat/temp front at all. May here has been a solid 10-12 degrees higher than it should be, even hitting the low-90's on a few days. That's just unheard of here, for May. But I got lucky on two fronts: a) the humidity has been below 30, and b) because of her backyard layout, tree situation, the way the sun tracks across the sky relative to her porch/deck location, etc. I was probably able to be in shade for a good 80% of it, which was pretty comfortable. It wasn't the hell-on-earth I was fearing.

But my whole reason/push to get done by the end of May was to avoid those brutal June-August temps here...and damned if I didn't pretty much have 'em anyway. The humidity being bearable is what saved my life/sanity. You do not want to be doing this kinda of thing in July-August here...you'll explode (or melt).

But, yeah. It does look nice. It is quite a change. The way the sun reflects off that grey tone (vs. nearly two decades of brown), it changes the look of her kitchen and computer room, which butt up to the back porch/deck...no golden, amber type of reflective ambient like, but I crisp, grey/neutral? Seems to make the white mini subway tiles on her kitchen backsplash pop and look real crisp and white. It changed the entire look outside, but also a couple of rooms inside, just due to how the sunlight is reflecting/bouncing into a few windows now.

I'm hoping that's my last painting project ever. At least one of that size. I'll paint a half-bath or coat closet (or one garden gate), sure. But that's about as big as I wanna go!

Confession: I do spend so much of my life sitting in front of a Mac, day and night (work and personal), that getting out in the air, doing some manual labor and putting in the work doesn't bother me. A nice change/counter to sitting on my butt at a desk. I loaded up some music and podcasts every day, so that always helps. Just zone out and don't think about the time (or how many more million square feet are still remaining).

[Matsu]

Must put a paint sprayer on my list of purchases. Daniel-san, I am not…

[kscherer]

Wax on …

[psmith2.0]

We talked about a sprayer, but I’ve never used one. I knew I couldn’t mess up a brush.

[turtle]

Seems like you did good by doing the work this early in the season. I can only image what it would be like in July/August time frame. Mid-July, visit your mom's and think about the temp it is at that time... I'm sure you will thank your younger self.

[Anonymous Coward]

Originally Posted by Matsu Must put a paint sprayer on my list of purchases. Daniel-san, I am not…

Be sure and consider what type of paint or stain you are going to use. I think the piston sprayers will handle anything if you have the correct oriface, but I couldn't get an air sprayer to give a good coat using oil based primer/paint. Given the preparation work to protect against overspray, I think I will be using a brush and roller for most projects as my preferred method.

[psmith2.0]

That’s true, and another reason I didn’t want to use one on this job.. some of the decking/railing was up against the house/siding (light yellow), so I would’ve spent (lost) a lot of time blue-taping plastic and/or newspaper in various places. I had a smaller, secondary 2” angled brush that I used in tighter areas or where a bit more control/precision was needed.

Happy to report I got more paint on me than I did her house, driveway, etc.